Malaysia Paves the Way for Compulsory Licensing on Hepatitis C Medicines
Daniel Molokele
Malaysia paves the way for compulsory licensing on hepatitis C medicines
Historic decision will cure more hepatitis C patients – and other countries can follow suit.
Today, 20 September 2017, Malaysia’s Ministry of Health has officially announced the use of a government-issued ‘compulsory license’ on the key hepatitis C drug, sofosbuvir. This ends Gilead Science’s monopoly in the country, opening the door to robust generic competition to bring prices down. It will mean that the government can afford to procure optimal treatment for the estimated 450,000 people living with hepatitis C in Malaysia.
“This is exciting news! Sofosbuvir is the principal drug for hepatitis C infection treatment, and it is very cheap to produce. However, Gilead’s pricing and its patent monopoly make it simply unaffordable for the majority of people who need it.
We congratulate Malaysia, and our colleagues there, who strongly advocated for this historic decision,” remarked Solange Baptiste, Executive Director, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC).
To read more about this historic decision please click on the link below: